2005 Jeep Wrangler TJ Unlimited Rubicon

J.P. Pritchard is one of those jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance men. A bona fide modern-millennium MacGyver, he makes things work: everything from OTR big rigs to 4x4s to diving gear. (J.P. is a PADI-certified diving instructor and co-owner of a dive shop, Bayou Divers, in West Monroe, Louisiana.)

When he isn’t teaching or hosting dives, J.P. is a wrench-for-hire. He also has an auto dealer’s license and operates a used-car lot on his property. In his spare time, J.P. is a special-guest technician in Superlift’s R&D department; he also holds a commercial driver’s license and sometimes pilots Superlift’s big rig to events. J.P. also happens to be one of the nicest guys around.

His daily-driven street/trail machine is a 2005 TJ Rubicon Unlimited (LJ). He bought the vehicle new and did nearly all of the modifications himself.

To keep the Jeep streetable, J.P. limited himself to four inches of suspension lift. He was working in Superlift’s R&D department when the company’s TJ long-arm kit was designed, so J.P. “took one for the team” and volunteered his personal rig for some long-term durability testing. He and Jeff Marzula installed the kit and all available options in Superlift’s spacious, well-appointed, and usually humid shop.

To keep J.P. and other technicians happy, Superlift designed the kit with a two-piece center skidpan: the inner pan supports the transmission so that a jack isn’t required to support the powertrain when dropping the outer plate for routine servicing. Also, the kit’s Rockrunner link arms are engineered for proper geometry while maximizing ground clearance and steering radius. These arms feature a threaded two-piece design, so they articulate more than arms that have Heim ends. Their greasable swivel joints are noise-free and don’t have to be rebuilt or replaced down the road (unless they’re damaged from serious blunt-force traumas). Finally, the arms’ threaded ends allow front caster to be accurately dialed in, and extended-length ends are available for up to three inches of wheelbase stretch.

Under the hood, J.P. swapped in a 5.7L Hemi. Details include a Hotwire harness, TeraFlex motormounts, and a Be Cool radiator. He bent up aluminized tubing to adapt the Hemi exhaust manifolds to the stock converter, then plumbed in a Gibson muffler. To do things a little differently, J.P. bolted a Dodge Dakota six-speed manual transmission between the Hemi and Rock-Trac transfer case. He secured it to the Superlift inner pan by combining the OE Jeep mount with a custom bracket made by Superlift’s Metalforms manufacturing division. Driveshafts were ordered from Tom Wood.

A 5.7L Hemi fills the engine hole. J.P. made it happen with TeraFlex mounts and a Hotwire harness. Add-ons include a Be Cool radiator, a K&N cold-air kit, and an Optima yellow-top battery.

Because J.P. uses his LJ to haul parts, he chose a GR8Tops fiberglass half-cab. This provides cab protection during Louisiana hurricanes while maximizing cargo space functionality. To protect the tub, J.P. used a U-Pol Raptor DIY spray-on bedliner kit. He then fabricated his own rock sliders to complement the Hanson bumpers and spare carrier. Lite DOT LED taillights add to the uniqueness factor. Final exterior additions are a Ramsey Patriot 9500 UT winch and KC driving and spot lights.

J.P. and his Jeep have conquered many Southeastern trails, mainly those at the Superlift ORV Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. They’ve also spanked many Moab trails. At this point, J.P. is satisfied with his LJ.